This is the best Natasha Lester has written! What a story. Be prepared to stay up late because once you start reading you won't want to stop.
Told in a dual timeline style, the stories of Elaine and Remy take us from German occupied Paris during WWII to the French Riviera in the present day. Elaine works at the Louvre and when the Germans occupy Paris she is assigned to work with them cataloguing and safe keeping the precious works of art. Thinking she doesn't understand German, Elaine spies on the Nazis, reporting back to the French Resistance, all the while taking more and more chances, risking her life to save some of Europe's most precious works of art.
One devastating weekend on the French Riviera puts not only Elaine's life in jeopardy, but the lives of others, some completely innocent,
Present day, Remy has lost everything after a devastating auto accident kills her husband and daughter. Remy only has her work left. Retreating to the French Riviera, Remy tries to come to terms with her loss, but after discovering a connection between a painting she has grown up with and the Nazi pilfering of the art of Europe, she follows leads to discover her ancestors and her heritage. Can what happened decades ago, the pain, loss and sacrifice of heroic individuals help to heal the pain and loss of Remy's present?
A truly powerful story of impossible decisions, pain, loss, sacrifice and what it means to those living through it and to future generations.
I loved this book, I was hooked from the beginning and didn't put it down till I finished, (with a bunch of waded up Kleenex at my side). It is somewhat of a tear-jerker so be prepared. This book is what makes reading these novels worth it, everything you hope for when you begin a new one is here. 5 stars, I would give more if it were possible. Sure to be a best seller.
Thank you to the publishers at Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC of this novel, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I know that a lot of the blurbs are saying if you love Kate Quinn you'll love this title, but I also think if you love Susanna Kearsley or Kate Morton you'll enjoy this one too. It was beautiful, evocative, lush and well written. Lester pulls you in to every detail of the story and you feel submerged into the storyline and events. I'm seeing a trend in art during WWII as a theme in the latest batch of historical fiction, and I enjoyed this take too. I loved the dual timelines and the expert way that Lester interwove the two stories in both times, together. This was beautifully done!

Loved every page. Great writing style. Recommend for a book club for women of all ages and races. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley.

Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections. They have no idea she’s carefully decoding their notes and smuggling information to the Resistance. But Éliane is playing a dangerous game. Does she dare trust the man she once loved with her secrets, or will he only betray her once again? She has no way to know for certain . . . until a trip to a stunning home on the French Riviera brings a whole new level of peril.

Present Day: Wanting to forget the tragedy that has left her life in shambles, Remy Lang heads to a home she’s mysteriously inherited on the Riviera. While working on her vintage fashion business, she discovers a catalog of the artworks stolen during World War II and is shocked to see a painting that hung on her childhood bedroom wall. Who is her family, really? And does the Riviera house hold more secrets than Remy is ready to face?

I liked Elaine's story far more than I connected with Remy's (and I just could not get the picture of a rat out of my head when I was reading the name). This book was well written and extensively researched. It was inspiring actually, the thought of art being the heart of France and that it gave hope to the people that protected it.

When the Nazi’s steam roll into Paris in 1940, one branch of the regime has one goal in mind….confiscate all the art from those who are not worthy to own it. For Eliane Dufort, art is so much more than just a sculpture or a scene captured in paint on a canvas. It tells a story. It’s a place in which one can escape. It unifies people…especially during times of peril. She enthusiastically joins the resistance, pretending not to understand German and assists in the cataloging great works of art that is eventually to be distributed being Hitler and Goring. Flash forward to present day and Remy Lang stumbles across a painting that has traveled with her for her entire life in a book cataloging Gorings art collection. Why does she have this painting? Who’s the artist? More importantly, how is she connected to the painting?

When I read the description of this book, I immediately requested early access. The thievery of some of the greatest works of all time during WWII is something that only recently captured my attention. Because so much of this book is based on real events, I couldn’t resist turning to google to look at the artwork mentioned. There is so much we don’t know, so much still missing. This novel lit the spark of curiosity for me and I LOVE when that happens when I read! I learn so much. The authors notes are critical in this story so please take the time to read them! The author details her immaculate research and provides some the resources she used to compile this page turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Natalie Lester for letting me read this before it’s release date! I’ll forever be grateful for the history lesson and admire those that risked so much to protect art and culture during one of histories darkest times

I had so many emotions with this book. First of all, the book takes place in two time periods. In the modern period, we meet Remy who is struggling with the unimaginable loss of her husband and child. In the past timeline, we meet Eliane who is doing a part of the war effort during WWII. She is cataloging artwork trying to keep them out of the hands of Hitler. There will be a connection between the two ladies which will be revealed later on, but before the reveal, you will be taken on a wild ride of emotions, drama, and scared times. I like that this book was your typical WWII book (I am trying so hard to get away from that standard formula). Natasha always seems to have a fashion element in her books and I adore that. Read this to find out how fashion comes to play with paintings.

5 stars

This book, I don't know how to explain accurately all the feels it gave me. It is told in a dual timeline format Discussing the Nazi occupation of Paris and the transferring of all the art as well s the art thefts that were happening at the hand of the Third Reich. The power struggle between Hitler and Goering, As well as in a more modern timeline where the main character is dealing with grief and loss and trying to heal themselves. Also this person, Remy is learning about her family history something she has no idea of because she was adopted. Eliane is such a strong character, with a deep sense of responsibility, as well as a great head on her shoulders. I feel like both of the main characters were developed well and you can see their personal growth throughout the stories.

I find that Natasha Lester researches her WW2 novels so well. Some of the sources she has used to write this book are amazing pieces that I have read. Also, I find it completely fascinating to learn about Goering's catalog, finding out about the different pieces of art, some that are still missing today was such an interesting thing. In my opinion, it is really hard to do a story like this with such a dark subject and to be able to use the words and story building while also maintaining true to the events and doing it with such a sensitive hand.

I loved the relationships that build in this, plus there is a sense of intrigue and urgency within this story. Because it is told in a dual timeline when parts would get really good in one of the two timelines I kind of wanted to skip ahead to the next section for that timeline just so I could know what was going to happen. All the talk about all the vintage clothing in this book just made my heart go pitter-patter. I loved it so much.

This book was everything I needed at the moment I read it. I look forward to reading whatever else comes my way from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Riviera House is split between two main characters in two separate eras: Eliane, an Parisian art student who works at the Louvre as France stands on the brink of invasion in World War II, and Remy, a grieving widow and mother who has recently lost both her husband and her child, and who is spending time at a home in the French Riviera which she inherited from her mysterious birth parents. As Eliane’s world descends into the terrifying occupation of Paris, she secretly works to safeguard the precious artworks that are being stolen by the Nazi occupiers. And as Remy slowly heals and learns to love again, we learn more about her birth family and her mysterious connection to one of the paintings chronicled in a book of artwork once stolen by Goering, Hitler’s second-in-command.

This book is clearly very thoroughly researched – it's rich with details about things like French art, vintage clothing, and the Riviera. It also has a lot of historical detail about things like what life was like during the occupation. The historical sections kept my attention much better than the contemporary ones, maybe because Remy’s story was a lot less interesting to me than Eliane’s, at least in the beginning. It’s not that Remy is an unsympathetic or unlikable character, or that I’m indifferent about her tragic backstory - quite the opposite. I just didn’t really care about her vintage clothes, or about the Henry-Joneses and their rich people problems, especially when compared to a character risking her life in the midst of the Nazi occupation. I was only really interested in the ways that the 2015 story fit into the 1940s story. That being said, I did like Remy’s storyline more as the book went on, and it focused more on the intersection of the two narratives than the minutiae of vintage clothes and life on the Riviera.

All in all, a good book, though I can’t give it higher than 3.5 just because I felt so disinterested in the contemporary narrative unless it connected to the historical one.

This novel has a dual timeline, Paris during WW II, and the present time The Germans invading France, ruling the country, taking what they wanted, sending stolen treasure back to Germany, the suffering and deprivation the French people endured for four years and how they resisted. It is the story of Eliane who lives in 1939 in Paris, and is part of the Resistance. It is also the story of Remy who in 2015 lives in a house that was left to her by her birth mother and a painting that had been stolen. The painting she has known her whole life, along with the Goring catalogue of art works she discovers ties the story back to WW2. This is a story of survival in a war that is totally tearing the world apart. The vintage clothes and jewelry Remy sells in her business, the luxurious villa and the painting, ties everything together.

The Riviera House is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, rich in detail and made more enjoyable when reading about the beautiful vintage fashion. I have long been a fan of Lester, this book was no exception. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

****Coming out August 31, 2021****

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley, I was chosen as an early reviewer!

Natasha Lester draws you in and writes a remarkable and engaging book set in dual timelines of WWll and Present Day.

When WWll begins, Elaine is faced with having to set aside her own ambitions of art school, in order to take on the responsibility of taking care of her mother and sisters and keeping the family’s brasserie running, while her brother and father go off to fight in the war. Elaine and her families world is turned upside down when her brother returns to warn them they must leave Paris because the Nazis are coming. Elaine decides to stay to work at her job at the Louvre, but is it what it seems?

Remy is in the South of France for work, vintage clothes and jewerly seller, who also loans her collections to celebrities, and are featured in magazines. Remy is hoping the South of France is the place that can help her cope with the death of her daughter and husband due to a car accident. Will this be the escape Remy is looking for?

Both of these women have parallels of love, and immeasurable loss in their lives, even though they lived in different time periods. What will connect them in the end? This book will having you turning the pages to find out.

I love how this Natasha Lester includes in her Author’s note her inspiration and which characters are linked to actual people in history!

An incredible story that is a must read and leaves you thinking about long after it’s done. Be sure to add to your TBR! A great book club pick!

Natasha Lester can do no wrong! The Riviera House was another all-star read for me. Seriously, ALL the stars!!!! The lyrical writing, the immersive historical details, the soul-shattering drama and tragedy bleeding through every page. Gah! I walked around in a daze after I turned the last page. I'm still not over it. (and yes, coining the days until her next book!!!!!!!!)

The spellbinding words of Natasha Lester, had me completely enchanted from the first chapter. The delicate way that Lester brings forth the true atrocities that the Nazis brought into France during World War II is horrific and barbaric. Their ability to believe anything that they touched, or saw was theirs, and to destroy whatever they liked at a drop of a hat. The Riviera House is a new take on a WWII read. It focuses on the mass stealing and destroying of the important works of art in France, and the people who tried to preserve it. This masterfully written novel is a work of fiction; however, you can tell that Lester did a deep dive into researching this topic. Even when I was not actively reading, I was mulling over the exquisite words and beautiful details that Lester has created. The Riviera House unfolds as a dual timeline, brilliantly linking the past to the present in a deep mystery.

Èliane lives with her family, dreaming of becoming a painter. She works her days in the Louvre and her nights are spent waitressing at her family's brasserie. Her father is a mean drunk, who is drinking away all the profits, and her mother has completely given up. The entire family depends on Èliane and her meager salary to live on. She is strong, determined, passionate young woman who will do anything and everything to take care of her family. In 1939, the war comes to France. All the art is moved out of the Louvre and hidden around the country. Èliane begins to work with the Germans, cataloging invaluable pieces of art that they have taken from Jewish people around the country. Èliane is working closely with Rose Valland, an actual historical hero that helped save countless pieces of art. They are keeping track of where these pieces are being sent and passing on pertinent information to the French Resistance.

Present day, Remy Lang is still reeling from the death of her young daughter and husband. Who were tragically taken from her in an automobile accident. She has inherited a villa on the French Rivera, she does not know how she has come into this inheritance. All she knows is that when her parents adopted her, she came with a painting and the deed to the villa. There is no background story on who she actually is and where her family came from. She has started a vintage clothing business, which sends her spiraling back to the past with each astonishing outfit. Through her new love interest Adam, they accidentally stumble upon a book of stolen WWII paintings, and the painting that she came with as a baby is in this book! This leads Remy down a path of self-discovery. Which not only helps her overcome her regrets and depression but allows her to open her heart to a great love.

Natasha Lester has created her own work of art in this book. The descriptions speak to all your senses, you can feel the whisper of silk upon her skin, you can feel the layers of oil upon the canvas, you see the endless gray skies that are caused by the bombs that are dropped upon the city, and you can see the intense expanse of ocean from The Riviera House. This book will invoke regret, joy, laughter, and utter heartbreak. The two love stories that she creates makes you believe in love again. The absolute joy and trust you can have in another person is breathtaking.

The Riviera House is one of the best books I have read all year. It will make you completely enraptured, enthralled, and enamored. You will be unable to put it down. I have given it all of the stars, because five is just not enough. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for allowing me to read this absolutely breathtaking book. Go out and preorder this book today, seriously what are you waiting for!

Good historical novel. It took me a while to get into it and at times I Debated whether to finish it. However it did pick up and kept at it. Maybe because I have read so many other novels about WWII, it didn't keep my interest that well and found myself quickly reading it just to get to the end.

This book is incredibly powerful and moving. It describes the story of the Louvre, Paris and art during World War II it an unforgettable way I had never considered before. Whether you have been to the Louvre and can picture the scenes described, or not, you will never forget the moving scenes of this famous museum being emptied of its treasures. How important is art? How much does art mean to a country or culture? Those themes are wrapped up in the very moving story of our young heroine Eliane as she tries to not only survive under enemy occupation but do her part to resist. This was such an original story of WWII and Paris that I was captivated. Unfortunately that’s why I found the sudden timeline jumped very jarring. I was caught up completely with Eliane that I did not want to leave her story. Personally I think the choice to have dueling timelines was a mistake. The modern story was nowhere near as compelling as the one set in the past. I think an epilogue could have accomplished what the author tried to do with the modern story. I also wish the author had made more decisions for the characters that did not leave obvious plot holes or choices that were hard to believe. Despite these criticisms this is a book I was unable to put down and I am excited to read more of her books. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

5 STARS for Natasha Lester's forthcoming novel, THE RIVIERA HOUSE.

1939-1944: The Nazis are zeroing in on Paris and Eliane is determined to do her part to preserve France's art and culture from the Nazi's hold... then she finds out the love of her life is working with the Germans, or so she thinks. Eliane deals with the very real and heartbreaking realities of the Nazi occupation and protecting and sacrificing for the ones she loves.

Present Day: Remy is grieving from unimaginable losses at the house she inherited in the French Riviera. When she needs a photographer for her upcoming shoot for her vintage fashion business, the family next door has someone who might just be the perfect match. As the story unravels, Remy learns about her past and the secrets that were kept while learning how to live and love again after tragedy.

I read A LOT of WW2 Historical Fiction so I've become very stingey with my 5 star ratings for them, but THE RIVIERA HOUSE deserves all the stars. Lester has a gift of writing beautiful yet heartbreaking stories of the plight and fortitude of the women of WW2 in the most unique ways while keeping the reader on their toes until the very last page with mystery and romance. I couldn't put this book down. Lester is quickly becoming one of my favorite WW2 authors and can't wait to see what she does next.

I look forward to sharing this forthcoming title with our blog audience and will keep it as a potential contender for a monthly book pick for our community's book club. Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully crafted story of heartbreak and hope!

A dual timeline story full of mystery and romance. It's set in WWII Paris and current day French Riviera. The characters are strong, hopeful, determined and memorable.

Remy's story is set in current day -- she's escaped the horror of losing her husband and daughter to The Riviera House - a house she's recently learned is her's and that's full of mystery. She's planning to continue her vintage fashion business and create a new lookbook. Luckily, a world renowned photographer is vacationing near by with his family - who has their own secrets and mysteries.

Elaine's story is set in WWII era Paris -- she's an artist living in an apartment with her large family over their restaurant when the war breaks out. She works with a group of Resistance artists to save the art that is being stolen and sent out of the country. The characters are amazing - so full of depth and hope, understanding what the costs are if they're discovered.

I loved that it wasn't a time switch between chapters like in most dual timeline books. In this story, you had a while to learn Remy and Elaine in depth before switching to the other character. Both storylines are fantastic and I love how they entwined together. This is one of the best stories I've read this year!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

BEST LESTER YET!

THE RIVIERA HOUSE is a stunning dual timeline historical fiction novel by New York Times bestselling author, Natasha Lester. I luxuriated in every page, every scene, every word as it revealed the brutal art theft the Nazis did during their Paris occupation in WWII, and the brave Resistance workers who risked all to try to save such great works as the Mona Lisa.

The love affair between Éliane, who works at the Louvre, and Xavier, an artist and son of an art gallery owner, adds depth and great feeling as readers hope against hope for their survival too.

The story moves seamlessly between the war and the present, when Remy, who owns a vintage fashion company, comes to the Riviera after a tragic loss. She has mysteriously inherited a spectacular house there, and by chance, meets and falls in love with a world renown fashion photographer, Adam.

The two love affairs have parallels that connect the eras, and Lester entwines them deftly. She writes so descriptively that we’re stunned by the glow of the famous art, hear the thunder of the ocean in the South of France, feel the silk of the amazing vintage clothing Remy wears. It’s a feast for the senses, and expertly draws the reader in.

Love, loss, war, betrayal, hope, and new life kept me engrossed ‘til the very last page of this book I did not want to end. A triumph!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 31 Aug 2021
#TheRivieraHouse #NetGalley @ReadForeverPub

Thanks to Natasha Lester, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This book is truly remarkable and I loved it! The setting is France during World War II and there are villains and heroes and resistance leaders and they are all striving to save or steal great paintings housed in the Louvre and other French museums. The story switches periodically to the French Riviera in current times. There are mysteries and historical questions throughout. This is fiction but based on colorful French history. I totally recommend this book to any reader fascinated by the tapestry of war and its victims and survivors.

So good!!! I absolutely love Natasha Lester’s vivid writing style and amazing storytelling ability. The Riviera House was fantastic and I could barely put it down!

Two timelines are beautifully woven together to tell a story of strength, perseverance, and love. Elaine risks her life to preserve important works of art being stolen from the Nazis during the war but who can she trust when someone starts betraying their efforts. Remy is still reeling from the loss of her husband and daughter 2 years ago when she escapes to the Riviera House she inherited, but is she prepared for what awaits her there?

Thanks to #NetGalley, Natasha Lester, and Forever - Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of #TheRivieraHouse in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets and a home on the French Riviera link two women, one during world War II, the other in the present day. Remy Lang is shocked to learn she’s inherited a house on the Riviera and travels there to escape the devastation of her life. In the house, she uncovers a collection of art presumed stolen during the War. In among the art is a painting she recalls seeing on her bedroom wall as a child. In 1939, Eliane was a cataloger working in the Louvre. She’s aware that the Nazis are stealing treasure from the museum, but they are unaware that the unassuming young woman is passing information about their activities to the Allies. It’s a risky game, and one that could cost Eliane her life. I loved this story linking these two brave women, who are both characterized beautifully